Hot Spots: The A’s have questions at both middle infield spots. Nakajima has struggled this spring to prove he can make the adjustment from Japan and might not start despite signing a $6.5 million, two-year deal in the offseason. Sogard has impressed in spring training and could end up starting at second base. Lowrie figures to get plenty of playing time although where is still to be determined. He can play any of the infield spots but might start out at his preferred shortstop position.

Outlook: The A’s came out of nowhere to win the AL West last season, beating out big-spending Texas and the Los Angeles Angels to clinch on the final day of the season. While this year’s team might be stronger with Cespedes in his second year, a healthy Anderson at the top of the rotation and acquisitions of Young, Lowrie and Jaso, repeating will be difficult. Oakland might not be able to count on the same late-inning success that led to a major league-leading 14 walkoff wins or another strong season from a crop of young players that helped the A’s become the second team ever to get at least 50 homers (56) and wins (54) from rookies.

Hot Spots: Fifth starter while waiting for expected return of Colby Lewis (6-6, 3.43 in 16 starts before surgery), the veteran right-hander who could be back from elbow surgery by the end of May, and maybe sooner. Tepesch will make his first start in the minors, then the Rangers plan to call him up for his major league debut April 9, the first time they need a fifth starter. Martin Perez was the likely option for the No. 5 spot until being hit by a liner and breaking a bone in his forearm March 3. He won’t start throwing again until after the season.

Outlook: After consecutive World Series appearances, the Rangers didn’t even win a game last October, losing the AL West title after being swept in three games by Oakland to end the regular season, then losing the AL’s first one-and-done wild-card game. Gone since then are Hamilton, the five-time All-Star slugger and 2010 AL MVP now playing for the AL West rival Angels, Napoli (54 homers the last two seasons) and Young, a constant presence in Texas the past 12 seasons. Berkman is being counted on to rebound from an injury-plagued season and, as primarily a DH, take over in the No. 3 spot in the batting order Hamilton held. The Rangers have a rotation fronted by Japanese ace Darvish, who won 16 games as a major league rookie, and young yet experienced left-handers Harrison and Holland. Nathan is back for a second season as the closer. Despite the significant changes to the offense, Texas should still be able to produce some runs with Beltre, Kinsler and others. Add their solid pitching, and the Rangers should contend for another AL West title.

Hot Spots: The biggest spotlight in this rock-solid lineup will be on Bourjos, the promising speedster who is bumping AL Rookie of the Year Trout to left field so he can play every day. If Bourjos struggles at the plate for any significant time, Trout will be itching to move back over, allowing Trumbo to play in the outfield again. The Angels changed their entire rotation behind Weaver and Wilson, bringing in three veterans expected to fit in right away. Los Angeles’ bullpen also is relying heavily on newcomers Burnett and Madson, who hopes to come back strong from Tommy John surgery.

Outlook: Although they won more games last season than AL champion Detroit, the Angels missed the playoffs for the third straight year — a first under Scioscia, baseball’s longest-tenured manager. Owner Arte Moreno wrote another lavish free-agent check to Hamilton in his bid to get back to the postseason, pairing him with Pujols in the best heart of the order money can buy. With two former MVPs backing two of the game’s most exciting young hitters in Trout and Trumbo, the Angels will be expected to score plenty of runs. But after letting Greinke walk, they’re gambling on a patchwork job on their rotation and bullpen to keep them in games when the dominant Weaver isn’t pitching. The Angels are betting big money that it’s their turn to rise again in the AL West.

Hot spots: Seattle desperately wants to see Justin Smoak succeed at first base and match the expectations that came with his arrival as the centerpiece of the trade that sent Cliff Lee to Texas. This may be the last chance for Smoak — Seattle has plenty of replacement options at first base in Morales, Ibanez and even Ackley. How Smoak does at the plate will ultimately determine his future with the Mariners. The backend of the rotation is also a concern as Seattle waits for its top prospects in the minors to be ready to make the jump to the majors.

Outlook: This is the year Seattle needs to take a step forward in the rebuilding Wedge and general manager Jack Zduriencik have undertaken. Young prospects Ackley, Seager and Michael Saunders need to produce with consistency. Montero needs to show he can be an everyday catcher. Gutierrez needs to stay healthy. If all those things happen, and Morales and Morse hit as expected, Seattle’s offense should be drastically better following three years of being the worst in baseball. There are worries about the backend of the rotation, but with Hernandez at the top, the Mariners pitching should be strong. Maurer beginning the season in the rotation is the surprise. He was the organization’s most improved minor leaguer in 2012 and was 3-1 with a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings this spring. Joe Saunders is a bridge in the rotation until Seattle’s young prospects Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker show they are ready. The bullpen could be especially good, and versatile, with three lefties and a closing duo of hard-throwing Capps and Wilhelmsen in the eighth and ninth innings. A winning season would go a long way in settling concerns the Mariners are progressing toward a playoff run in 2014, but anything more than 85 wins would be a pleasant surprise.

Hot Spots: For this young, inexperienced team, it would be easier to list areas that aren’t potential hot spots. Questions abound at virtually every position except second base, where Altuve will look to build on an All-Star season in 2012, and catcher, where Castro enters his third major league season. The addition of Cedeno should push Gonzalez at shortstop after Lowrie was traded, and third baseman Dominguez will be expected to perform in what is expected to be his first full season in the majors. Right fielder Martinez played just 41 games in the majors last season and first baseman Wallace appeared in just 66. Center fielder Maxwell and left fielder Carter both showed power last season, but need to improve their averages. Perhaps the biggest question mark is how Pena will fare as Houston’s first-ever designated hitter a year after hitting .197 with a career-high 182 strikeouts. There is also uncertainty in the rotation where no pitcher had a winning record last season. Harrell had the most success, going 11-11 with a 3.76, and Houston looks to get a boost from the addition of Humber, who threw a perfect game last season for the White Sox.

Outlook: Porter, the former Nationals third base coach, takes over a team which has finished last in the majors in each of the last two seasons. The Astros will try to avoid becoming the first team to lose at least 106 games in three straight seasons since the expansion Mets did it from 1962-65. It won’t be easy for a team with just five players on the 40-man roster with more than two years of major league experience and the league’s lowest payroll. Plus, they’ll have to deal with the transition of moving from the NL Central to the powerful AL West. Their biggest offseason acquisition was 34-year-old Pena, one of only three players on the 40-man roster who is 30 or older. The team avoided arbitration with Norris by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract. The 27-year-old right-hander is the highest paid player on the team with a payroll of about $25 million, and he’ll need to bounce back from a 7-13 season to become the top man in Houston’s rotation.